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Infant temperament: implications for parenting from birth through 1 year
1School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104-6096, USA.
Insights
Infant temperament, or behavioral style, is observable at birth. Understanding infant temperament helps nurses foster positive parent-infant relationships and manage challenges like colic and postpartum depression.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Nursing
Background:
- Individual differences in infant behavioral style are evident shortly after birth.
- Nurses play a crucial role in supporting parent-infant relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide nurses with insights into infant temperament.
- To facilitate positive parent-infant interactions.
- To address challenges related to infant temperament.
Main Methods:
- Overview of infant temperament research.
- Discussion of temperament measurement instruments and methods.
- Exploration of the link between temperament, postpartum depression, and colic.
Main Results:
- Infant temperament research provides a framework for understanding newborns.
- Temperament assessment tools aid in identifying infant needs.
- Temperament is associated with postpartum depression and infant colic.
Conclusions:
- Understanding infant temperament is essential for nursing practice.
- Nurses can utilize temperament knowledge to support parents.
- Clinical advice is offered for managing difficult infant behaviors.
Abstract:
Individual differences in behavioral style are seen readily in the first hours of life of the normal newborn. The intent of this overview is to delineate some specific issues of infant temperament that nurses will find beneficial in their endeavor to facilitate positive parent-infant relationships. Topics include a brief overview of infant temperament research, instruments and methods of measuring temperament, the relationship of temperament to postpartum depression, and colic. Clinical advice on day-to-day living experiences with a difficult infant will be offered.